


Bells and Whistles

by MayQueen517



Series: Pacific Rim Tumblr prompts [5]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Gen, Tumblr Prompt, silly fic, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-05
Updated: 2013-10-05
Packaged: 2017-12-28 13:04:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/992308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayQueen517/pseuds/MayQueen517
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tumblr prompt of a kinkmeme prompt!</p>
<p>AKA: The one where Hermann tells everyone something different about how he got his cane.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bells and Whistles

**Author's Note:**

> A sweet anon sent me the link to [this kinkmeme prompt](http://pacificrimkink.livejournal.com/2747.html?thread=4025787#t4025787) and said that they'd like to see what I'd do with it. This is quick and easy and I had a lot of fun doing it! 
> 
> I have a headcanon that Hermann is surprisingly good with kids and that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

It's not so strange to see children in the Shatterdome. Techs bring their children and some of the LOCCENT officers have their kids on base with them. Tendo, Hermann knows, used to bring Felix with him some days when there had been no warning signs of an impending Kaiju attack. Now, after the closing of the Breach, it's fairly common to see Tendo's son ("'m FOUR!" he exclaims to Newton in excitement) hanging around K-Science with his father. Felix with big eyes and hair that he refuses to allow anyone but Newton to brush for some reason.

Hermann listens to the two of them squabble about the brush as Newton chases Felix around, smiling fondly and thinking of Vanessa and their own child on the way as Tendo sighs and watches him.

"You sure you're ready for this, Doc?" Tendo asks, teasing as Newton attempts to tame Felix's hair into something manageable (and failing miserably). Hermann leans on his cane, humming thoughtfully as he watches Felix's eyes light on it. He's seen it plenty of times before and Hermann can see the questions shining in his eyes.

"Mr. Hermann," Felix says, squirming away from Newton to run over. Hermann looks down, peering at him as Felix gives him a wide, toothy grin, "Mama says I shouldn't ask you about your cane but why do you have a cane?"

Tendo hisses his name sharply, mortification shining on his face as Hermann arches an eyebrow. Felix looks as if he's hesitating and Hermann, lowers himself into a chair, holding the cane out.

"This old thing? Why, I suppose it came from when I stared down a Kaiju a few years back," Hermann says, ignoring the choked noise of surprise from Tendo and Newton as he watches Felix's eyes grow large. He's reminded of his nephews (twin terrors that they are) as Felix creeps closer.

"No you didn't!" Felix exclaims, grinning as he reaches out to touch the cane gingerly. Hermann restrains his grin, jerking the cane to watch him jump and dissolve into shrill giggles. 

"I did! How dare you not believe me!" Hermann says as Felix giggles harder, looking up at him. He looks like a tiny Tendo, Hermann thinks and when he casts his eyes over to Tendo and Newton (both with incredulous expressions on his face that make Hermann want to roll his eyes) Felix reaches forward, gently tugging on his pants.

"But why a cane?" 

"That is a story for another day, young man," Hermann says, putting the cane down to pick him up and settle him in his lap, "First and foremost, let's get your hair brushed and I will tell you about it, hmm?"

===

Hermann is not unaccustomed to the looks he gets. He's also not unaccustomed to the questions children ask. He has nephews (and a new niece now, he reminds himself with a smile) who ask him about it all the time. 

The older children, the ones who are coming to see their parents for the first time in months regard Hermann in a wary sort of acceptance. Hermann finds Felix running with some of the other children in the hallway near the quarters that used to belong to many of the Rangers. There's a familiar bull dog chasing Felix (to delighted, shrieking laughter) that soon turns into tag between some of the children, Max's tongue lolling out the side of his mouth in happiness.

Chuck Hansen, thin and still rather wan, sits in a wheelchair, laughing roughly as Max barks at the kids eagerly.

"Ranger Hansen," Hermann says in greeting as Chuck snorts forcefully.

"Not much of a Ranger these days, now am I?" he says, looking up at Hermann, "Chuck. Just Chuck, Gottlieb."

"Hermann, then," he says, watching Max trot over to Chuck, panting happily as Chuck smiles. He rubs Max's head and sends him back over.

One of the kids, an older girl with both front teeth missing, runs over to them, looking up at Hermann curiously.

"Why do you have a cane?" she asks Hermann as Chuck winces. She's the daughter of one of the Striker Eureka techs, Hermann remembers as he offers up the cane, spinning it before propping on it once more.

"This is a souvenir."

"For what?"

"Ah, well, you see, I was a spy back in England. Very dangerous, very dashing. It was working with another agent who regrettably missed his shot and I got this," Hermann says as Chuck startles, staring up at him in confusion. Hermann doesn't grin at Chuck, watching her eyes grow huge.

"Like James Bond?"

"Oh, heavens, no. He's far too advanced in the organization for the likes of me," Hermann says, watching the other kids look over at them, Max still trotting from child to child, "I think that I may have said too much, so why don't you go finish playing with Max?" 

She grins shyly at him, running back over as Chuck clears his throat, shifting in his wheelchair.

"A spy, huh?"

"The truth is rarely preferred by children in cases such as this," Hermann says, gesturing with his cane as Chuck huffs out a laugh. 

"How _did_ it happen?"

"Oh, that's a boring story for another day," Hermann says easily, watching a smile cross Chuck's face. Hermann doesn't look to the empty space at his left leg and when Chuck rolls forward to collect Max, Hermann finds himself making his way back to K-Science with a smile on his face.

===

"Is there a reason my son is now telling kids that a Kaiju ate his leg?" Herc Hansen says, standing at Hermann's table before Hermann laughs. He motions for Herc to sit as Vanessa starts laughing.

"Hermann likes to tell kids stories about his cane," she says with a grin, "I seem to remember him telling my niece that it was a rouge biker gang, I think."

Herc laughs sharply as Hermann smiles over at Vanessa. Her hair is piled on top of her head and her hands are propped over her belly as she leans back against Hermann's side.

"Any reason for it?"

"Children rarely prefer the truth," Hermann says, holding Vanessa's hand lightly. She laughs and squeezes his hand firmly.

"My favorite was always that you had been cursed by an evil witch," she says as Hermann laughs, seeing Newton head over as he flops down.

"Oh, dude, the witch one is so great. He told Felix that he fought a Kaiju with it and I thought the kid's eyes were gonna fall outta his head," Newton says as Hermann laughs.

"It is far easier to tell them little stories like that than to tell them that it was simply an accident," Hermann says easily. Vanessa squeezes his hand and Newton nods.

"Plus, you're kind of awesome with kids," Newton says as Vanessa hums happily. Herc shakes his head, smiling over at him.

"Well, truth or not, thanks. First time I've heard him even talk about it," Herc says, offering his hand. Hermann shakes it easily, watching him stride off before he loses himself to conversation with Newton and Vanessa. He doesn't say that it's his way of controlling what is said about himself and that children are the easiest to talk to. 

He doesn't tell them this because they already know and that, he thinks, is the best part of it all.

**Author's Note:**

> You're welcome to come chat and/or prompt me something on tumblr at [MayQueen517](http://mayqueen517.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
